HAWKS REPORT

> SMITH NEARS RETURN: Hawks forward Josh Smith had designs on an early return from the 12-game layoff caused by the high left ankle sprain he suffered Nov. 7 against Toronto.

He wanted to play against Washington on Saturday night at Verizon Center but said others decided that he should wait until Wednesday’s home game against Memphis.

“I’m ready to go right now,” Smith said before Saturday’s game. “But if the guys that know [the Hawks’ athletic training staff] think I should wait a couple more games, I have to go with it.”

The Hawks are undefeated (4-0) with Smith and are close to .500 ball without Smith, going 5-6 in the 11 games before Saturday night. They’ve missed his athleticism, energy and shot-blocking prowess on defense during this stretch.

> MARIO REACTS TO JACKETS: Georgia Tech’s stunning 45-42 win over Georgia on Saturday sent shock waves all the way to Washington. Hawks guard Mario West, a Tech alum, was all smiles before the Hawks’ game against the Wizards.

“I watched the game in my hotel room, and I was hollering like crazy. How sweet it is,” West said. “But I’ll be honest with you, I wasn’t surprised with how well they played. They’ve played pretty well all year. They had a really good showing against Miami leading up to this Georgia game that I think really set them up well for what they faced against Georgia.”

> NEW-LOOK WIZARDS: The players are the same, but the man calling the shots on the sideline is different now that Ed Tapscott has taken over for Eddie Jordan, who was fired last week after six years on the job as coach. “They’re still the same dangerous team that’s always given us trouble,” Hawks captain and All-Star Joe Johnson said. “We’re not expecting anything to be different as long as Caron [Butler] and Antawn [Jamison] are out there.”

The Hawks had to rally late for a 91-87 win over the Wizards on Wednesday at Philips Arena, snapping a four-game losing streak in the process.